Because I Believe
by Echo Chambers
Summary: Two weeks after Sirius's death and Harry still can't sleep.  On a late night walk he meets up with a friend and realizes that facts are the only things that make a truth.          How do you know?… Because I believe.


** hr / center i Because I Believe /i /center hr / **

**It was three in the morning and Harry was again unable to sleep. The nightmares of Sirius falling through veil hadn't given him a break since the night at the ministry two weeks ago, nor had his thoughts. Would he see Sirius again? Did the muggles have it right; was there an after life? Was Sirius merely gone forever? Had it hurt to die? Harry knew that logically it wasn't his fault, but the millions of 'what ifs' wouldn't leave him alone either. Harry was exhausted, he wanted to sleep, he wanted to forget, and mostly he wanted to wake up at Grimmold place to the sound of Sirius singing Christmas Chorals so that he could completely redo the last semester. He knew it wouldn't happen though. **

**In the hopes of clearing his head, Harry forced himself to his feet. Slipping his cloak on over his P.J.'s he put on his glasses and walked from the room.**

**His unconscious decision to leave the map and cloak turned out correct because as he passed the library and took the staircase by Myrtle's bathroom he saw no signs of Filtch or his cat, Norris. Soon he relaxed and let his feet carry him blindly while his mind wandered off. Was Sirius watching over him with his parents? Would he be reincarnated? Maybe going through the veil trapped his soul so he couldn't reach heaven! Then again, did Harry even believe in heaven?**

**The front doors opened silently on well-oiled hinges. Warm air brushed gently against his face. He was headed towards the Whomping Willow. Just as Harry was turning to walk around the lake instead, his eye caught a slight flicker of movement. Looking back towards the Willow he realized he had not been alone after all. There was another Hogwarts student up at this strange hour of the morning. A girl, or so he assumed from the fact the student seemed to be dancing, was twirling nimbly around the Willows gigantic branches. Shocked Harry ran over, about to shout out that it was dangerous to play so near the Willow, when he realized that for some reason the tree didn't seem to be attacking. On the contrary it seemed to be i playing /i with the girl.**

**Jogging slowly now Harry came to stop just out of branch-reach to watch the weird occurrence. Now he could see who she was. Luna Lovegood, dressed as strangely as ever, was dancing with the willow and singing to herself, though Harry couldn't make out the words. For a while Harry just stood there watching. Then he called out, "Hey, Luna!" She turned around sharply and was almost knocked over by a still-moving branch. It backed away quickly like a guilty puppy.**

**"Oh!" cried Luna, talking to the tree. "Don't feel bad. I'm fine, really. I just need a break." The tree seemed to perk up at that. Eagerly it picked her up and pushed her over towards Harry. "Thank you very much!"**

**She stood in front of Harry, her large eyes gazing at him with the usually dreamy shine. "Hello, Harry."**

**"Um, hi," he stared at her a moment longer. "What were you doing?"**

**"Dancing with the Willow. She likes that. She gets lonely because there is nothing near her, and when people come near they are mean to her. She even told me about a car that someone flew into her. Can you believe it?" Harry had to fight the urge to look away. "What are you doing?**

**"I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "I-I keep thinking about the Ministry, and Sirius."**

**"I had a hard time coping when my mom died too. I didn't eat much and I kept worrying. Didn't know if I'd ever see her again. When I finally talked to Dad he told me that that's one of the biggest flaws in the wizarding society." Luna looked up at the crescent moon in thought**

**"What is?"**

**"We don't have religion," she stated simply, looking at him again. "When someone dies most wizards don't know what happens."**

**"But you do?" Harry asked, prompting her to explain.**

**"Yes. They are with the stars, the old spirits. The newer ones, like Sirius and my mom, they are in the clouds, and in the blue air so that they can watch over the people they left behind. And when they are finally joined by all they love they move up higher so that the newer souls have room to watch their loved ones."**

**"But clouds are just evaporated rain. How can you believe that?" Harry asked, disappointed that this was just another crazy fairy-tale Luna managed to come up with.**

**"Is that all they are?" asked Luna in her dreamy, almost mysterious 'I-know-what-you-don't' voice. "Can you prove that they are nothing more? The souls are there, watching us, invisible to the living but quite real non the less."**

**"How do you know?" asked Harry desperately.**

**"Because I believe." A still silence stretched on between them for a while, Luna looking up at the sky, Harry over her shoulder at the resting Whomping Willow. Finally Luna moved and said, "I am going to sit with the Willow again, good night Harry."**

**"Good night. Oh, and Luna, thanks." She smiled in her dreamy way before walking back off towards the Willow. Turning Harry left as well, this time headed back to bed deep in thought. **

**She believed, so it was true. Or was it true because she believed? The idea was crazy! How could a spirit live in a i cloud /i ? Preposterous. Yet, before he closed the front doors behind him Harry spared a look up at the brightening horizon. Maybe it wasn't so ridiculous.**

**"Good night, Sirius." Shutting the doors behind him Harry walked back up to his dormitory with a considerably lighter heart. Perhaps Luna wasn't so crazy after all.**

** hr / b **

**A/N:**

**Tell me, what do you think? I wrote this really quick and I'm wondering if that last bit where Harry was thinking over what Luna said went well enough because I figure it's not like he suddenly believes, but he's found a sturdier piece of ground to stand upon. I mean, religious-ish beliefs aren't that quickly accepted and believed!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Echo Chambers**


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